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Midwifery and maternal health in the news

As we enter the final quarter of 2024, NACPM reflects on the progress we’ve made and the bold steps ahead as we plan for 2025. We are called to move forward with intention, shedding the weight of scarcity, inadequacy, and imposter syndrome. Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) are at a critical juncture.

Hello! My name is Tamara Trinidad González, I am a Certified Professional Midwife in Puerto Rico and I am part of the NACPM Board of Directors. We are currently in our annual Bigger Table Fund campaign, which is a very important monetary fund that allows us to create, and expand access to cover the costs of the certification and licensure exam, especially for communities of color, indigenous communities and also LGBTIQ+ communities.

Meet Paloma Del Mar Hernandez Quiñones , a  Bigger Table Fund recipient  and the the second Black Certified Professional Midwife in Puerto Rico!

Meet Okunsolo Amadou, one of three Bigger Table Fund recipients who are now serving on the NACPM Board of Directors. Watch her story and see the impact of your donations.

The Bigger Table Fund is dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable future for midwifery. This initiative is a powerful step toward addressing the systemic inequities that exist within the CPM workforce.

"“NACPM is excited about the introduction of the MIDWIVES for Servicemembers Act, marking a pivotal step toward broadening access to credentialed midwifery care for military families,” said National Association of Certified Professional Midwives Executive Director Cassaundra Jah, MSM, LM. “This legislation is vital in guaranteeing that all service members and their families receive the highest quality maternal care, no matter where they are stationed. By supporting this bill, we are one step closer to addressing disparities and improving maternal outcomes in the United States.”

Dear NACPM Members and Friends,

My journey from studying business economics to completing both a traditional and masters-level midwifery program has given me a unique perspective on the value and worth of our profession.  Midwifery holds immense value in our communities, yet we often struggle with receiving fair compensation for the vital services we provide. While our commitment is heartfelt and service-driven, it’s essential that we recognize and advocate for our worth.

Midwife care is associated with overall better health outcomes for both mother and baby, with significantly lower rates of emergency c-sections, episiotomies and preterm births. Taken together, the facts about outcomes and other nations’ standards of care expose American attitudes toward midwives, often considered heedless or amateurish, as uninformed — and, often, rooted in sexist assumptions about women’s abilities and wisdom.

In the face of DEI rollbacks and challenges to progress, RWJF remains steadfast in their commitment to take bold leaps with our partners to pave the way together to a future where health is not a privilege, but a right. Their long-term vision is one where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, where past harms are rectified, and we can prevent future harm from happening.

It’s hard to believe we are more than halfway through 2024, which is a good reminder to make time to pause and reflect.  Having half a year fly by is an off shoot of overdoing it, so let’s take a moment to slow down. 

Established in 2022, the TKT Midwifery Student Scholarship Fund addresses the urgent need for more Black and Indigenous Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs). Recognizing the impact of concordant care and the lack of diversity in the midwifery workforce, NACPM is dedicated to removing barriers and creating pathways for Black and Indigenous midwives to enter and sustain their practices. This scholarship embodies that commitment.

The midwifery model of care is rooted in trust, empowerment, and individualized support, fostering a partnership between clients and midwives to embrace the natural journey of pregnancy and childbirth. Different models have been implemented when it comes to childbirth management. These models had been labeled “Medical vs Social”, “technocratic vs holistic” or “pathological vs salutogenic” models.

What does it mean in midwifery to engage in sustainable practices, and do work in midwifery with climate and environmental consciousness, while finding balance and health for ourselves? This is an art and perhaps a science- something midwives are in constant relationship with.

JMWH is the official Journal of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and some of you are familiar with the bimonthly publication schedule and focus on articles of interest to practicing midwives, primarily in the United States.

The recent announcement of the dissolution of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) marks the end of an era for an organization that has been foundational in the establishment of the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) credential. As we navigate through this period of mourning and adjustment, it is a poignant reminder of the vital role that MANA has played in the professional recognition of midwives and those dedicated to the art and science of community midwifery.

As a practicing midwife, my recent journey to Piste, Mexico provided me with a profound opportunity to learn from the ancient traditions of midwifery intertwined with plant medicine. In rural communities of Latin America, where modern healthcare facilities are often inaccessible due to geographical barriers, caregivers continue to rely on ancestral practices passed down through generations. In the time I spent in Piste, learning at the feet of Mayan

midwives, I was struck by the flourishing

The National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM) is excited to support the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) in their important job task analysis study.